England Tour: This itinerary is weird, what will India do for 42 days after WTC final – Dilip Vengsarkar

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar has called Team India’s itinerary for the England tour “absurd” and “weird”. Notably, after landing in England on June 3, India will face New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) final from June 18 in Southampton. Virat Kohli and his boys will then have to wait for 42 days before playing their first Test against England from August 4 in Nottingham.

Vengsarkar, the chief selector when India won their last Test series in England in 2007, has also raised objection on Sri Lanka and Pakistan touring England for white-ball matches in June and July.

“What are they going to do in those one-and-a-half months? I am really surprised with the scheduling. What kind of a tour is being organised? How can you have a Test match now and you don’t have any cricket for one-and-a-half months, and then you play the Test series. Even if Pakistan and Sri Lanka visit England for limited-overs series in July (England host Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs in June-July and Pakistan for three ODIs and three T20Is in July), why can’t they have the England-India Tests immediately after the WTC final?

“Is the team coming back after the WTC final and then going back? What are they going to do for those one-and-a-half months? Even if they schedule county matches, one-and-a-half months is too long a period to play county matches. This itinerary is weird. If there is no cricket for one-and-a-half months, it is strange. If India is there to play Test matches, they should continue playing Tests rather than have a gap. Why are Pakistan and Sri Lanka playing T20Is and ODIs in between? That is absurd,” Vengsarkar told News18.

During the same period a second Indian side consisting of white-ball specialists will tour Sri Lanka for 3 ODIs and as many T20Is. Travelling in the Covid-19 times has become difficult and scheduling matches and making logistical arrangements even more.

India is listed on UK’s travel “red list” but the Indian team’s cricket tour has been granted an expemtion from the government.

“The event has now been granted an exemption by the UK government as outlined in The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability) (England) Regulations 2021, released on 17 May 2021,” the ICC had said in a release on Saturday.

In fact, players are being put under quarantine even before boarding the flight to the touring nation.